Edward – a true Hanoverian honoured

The Celle state stud stallion Edward was awarded the Grande-Prize on the occasion of the Verden Auction in March. The multi-talented Embassy/Fabriano-son was bred by Hans-Heinrich Dittmer from Radbruch. The Hannoveraner Verband honours Edward’s previous breeding performances with this prize which is given to the breeder of a stallion whose first progeny under saddle give rise to great hopes for having a positive influence on the Hanoverian breed.

Edward was registered with the Hanoverian Jumper Breeding Program after having successfully accomplished his stallion performance test. As he also displayed fantastic movement, he participated with Charlott-Maria Schürmann at the 2013 European Young Rider Championships where the duo won the silver medal. Edward is one of the last “true” Hanoverian horses that pass on their talent for both disciplines to their progeny. Last year, offspring from his first crops of foals qualified for the Bundeschampionate in all three disciplines, dressage, show jumping and eventing. The Grande-Prize is an award that is linked with the hope that the honoured stallion will sustainably improve the Hanoverian breed. Edward is a worthy winner.

The big-framed chestnut was born in 2005 as third foal out of state premium mare Fabienne with Hans-Heinrich Dittmer from Radbruch. Fabienne had once been nominated champion mare in Luhmühlen and was also specially awarded at the 2003 Louis-Wiegels-Show. Her sire Fabriano is well-known for his all-round qualities, just like Edward’s sire Embassy. His breeding performances are therefore no coincidence.

Edward’s road led straight to the Celle State Stud. He grew up at the stallion raising station Hunnesrück and completed his stallion performance test in Adelheidsdorf with 120.72 points for show jumping and 143.92 points for dressage. There is probably no better way to confirm the capacity for both disciplines. Edward was licensed after his stallion performance test. He was standing at the service station in Adelheidsdorf at the age of four before he changed to Ankum as of 2010. When he started his breeding career, a new principle was launched with the goal to also combine dressage bloodlines with appropriate show jumping bloodlines. Edward did not breed that much in his eight years as state stud stallion. Only 333 progeny have been registered until today, a number other stallions achieve in one year. But he is very popular with a lot of breeders and is bred to show jumping, dressage and halfbred mares. The successes of his progeny are to be highly regarded against this backdrop. His breed values of 137 for dressage and 143 for show jumping, determined in young horse development classes, are highly secured, and his oldest offspring are now ready to compete at the advanced level.